Video Spotlight

Transportation & Distribution

Grow Farther: Central Location

Parked at the intersection of key trade and transportation corridors heading in all directions, Winnipeg is home to CentrePort Canada. The only trimodal inland port in the country to provide foreign trade zone advantages, this 20,000-acre initiative expedites the movement of goods economically and efficiently to North American, Asian and European markets.

Winnipeg is the only major city between Thunder Bay and Vancouver with direct rail connections to the United States via three Class 1 carriers, and it also features rail access to the northern seaport of Churchill. The city boasts a celebrated airport—one of Canada’s most important airports for air cargo activity—and some of the country’s biggest trucking firms are headquartered here.

So whether you’re in the transportation industry or you just need to ship products fast, your business will grow farther in Winnipeg.

Vital Stats

There are more than 45,000 people employed in Winnipeg’s transportation and distribution sector, which is comprised of 5,800 business establishments active in warehousing and distribution; logistics; air, road, and rail transportation; and local transit and distribution. This highly skilled labour force is complemented by one of Canada’s leading supply chain management education programs offered at the University of Manitoba.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the congruence of U.S. and Canadian laws and regulations help firms effectively serve U.S. markets from Winnipeg.

As a foreign trade zone, CentrePort Canada offers duty deferral and goods and services tax (GST) exemption to qualifying businesses. Customs duties normally paid on goods imported into Canada can be deferred or recovered. Goods can be imported to CentrePort Canada for processing, then re-exported outside of the country on a GST-free basis

Fast Facts

Geographic Advantages

Located at the geographic centre of North America, Winnipeg is at the hub of several major continental and global transportation routes.

Winnipeg is just 100 km (62 miles) from the U.S. border and is the major Canadian centre closest to Mexico

Winnipeg is a 24-hour drive to a population of 100 million.

Rail Advantages

Winnipeg is one of only two Canadian cities with three Class 1 railways—CN, CP and BNSF.

Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway operate intermodal terminals in Winnipeg.

Road Advantages

Winnipeg is the headquarters for nine of the top-ranking interprovincial general freight carriers.

Over 1,000 for-hire rigs based in Winnipeg result in aggressive pricing and great service.

CentrePort Canada Way, a new $212-million expressway, makes it easier for truckers to achieve the desired “five minutes to 90 km (55 miles) per hour” goal for moving cargo.

Air Advantages

Winnipeg’s award-winning $585-million airport is the No. 1 dedicated freighter airport in Canada by number of flights (over 5,000 per year).

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Winnipeg is one of only two Canadian cities with three Class 1 railways (CN, CP and BNSF).

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Over 5,800 transportation and distribution establishments exist in Winnipeg, employing more than 45,000 people.

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Winnipeg is the most cost-effective city for aerospace manufacturing in Western Canada and the U.S. Midwest (KPMG's Competitive Alternatives, 2016).